Trolley-pole attachment.



' H. w. EIGHBAUM. TROLLEY POLE ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED IAR. 28, 1908.

Patented Jan. 5,1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN W. EIOHBAUM, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN BEOKMAN, OF RHYOLITE, NEVADA.

TBOLLEY-POLE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Tan. 5, 1909.

Application filed March 28, 1908. Serial No. 423,851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN W. EIGH- BAUM, citizen of the United States, residing.

at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Pole Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment to the trolley-pole of an electric street-car, for use in the operation of electric switches, signals, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple convenient means for operating sig nals, switches, gates, and the like, from electric cars while in motion.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompany- D ing drawings, in which street-car.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating the electrical connections.

A represents the trolleyole of an ordinary l astened to this pole at there quired distance from the wheel 2, say from six inches to one foot, more or less, is a cylinder 3. The cylinder 3 may be attached to the trolley-pole A by any suitable means, as the clamps 4.

5 is a piston working in the cylinder, and 6 is a piston-rod extending upward through the head of the cylinder, and pivotally connected with a lever 7, which latter is fulcrumed in a bracket 8 on the cylinder, This lever arm 7 extends laterally, and at its outer end is ivotally attached the upright rod 9, which as a limited oscillating movement between the spring-plates 10 carried on the arm 7. The upper end of the stem 9 carries a contact member 11, which is designed to be raised on the actuation of the piston 5 into contact with a corresponding contact ciently to prevent breakage of the parts. The weight of the parts 7-91011 is such as normally to depress the contact roller 11 out of operative engagement with the section 12, and correspondingly to raise the piston 5 in the c linder 3.

The to of the cy inder is connected with any suitable source of air supply, as the reservoir 15. By suitable means, represented by the controlling valve 16, air or other compressed fluid is admitted into the cylinder 3 on top of the piston 5, causing the latter to move downward, and correspondingly to raise the contact roller, so that whenever the latter travels over a section of wire 12 it will close an electric circuit and operate the signal or other apparatus, which latter is arranged in circuit with wire 12 and roller 11 any suitable form of electrical connections being employed to produce the desired result.

For the purpose of illustrating the principle of the invention, I have indicated a switch 17 operated by the energizing of a suitable solenoid magnet 18. One terminal of this magnet is connected with the contact section 12, and the other terminal is in electrical contact with the track rail 19. The roller 11 on the car is in electrical contact through the electrical conductor 20 and batter 21 and the wheels on the car, with the rai 19. As long as the roller 11 is out of contact with the section 12, the circuit through the switch solenoid is broken. The moment, however, compressed air is admitted into the cylinder 3 to actuate the piston 5, theroller 1 1 is lifted, and when it strikes the sect1on 12 the circuit will be closed and the switch point 17 will be operated.

It is mamfest that the invention is ap 11- cable to operate a variety of forms of o ootrical mechanisms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination with a trolley-pole and a trolley-wire, of a contact member arranged adjacent to the trolley-wire and having electrical connections with an object to be electrically actuated, a mechanically o erated contact member carried by the trol ey-pole and having electrical connections through the car with the aforesaid object to be electrically actuated, and fluid pressure means for placing said contacts in the path of one another, whereby the circuit is closed on the passing of the car.

2. The combination with atrolley-pole and a trolley-wire, of a contact member arranged adjacent to the trolley-wire and having electrical connections with an object to be electrically actuated, a mechanically 0 erated contact member carried by the trol ey-pole and having electrical connections through the car with the aforesaid object to be electrically actuated, and fluid pressure means operative from the car for actuating the contact member on the trolley-pole to engage the first-mentioned contact member.

3. The combination with a trolley-pole and a trolley-wire, of a contact member independent of the trolley-wire and arranged adjacent thereto, a pivotally supported contact member carried by the trolley-pole, and fluid pressure mechanism for placing said last-named contact member in operative position to engage the first-named contact member.

4. The combination with a trolley-pole and a trolley-wire, of a contact member arranged adjacent to the trolley-wire, a cylinder on the trolleypole, a piston in the cylinder, a lever fulcrumed to the cylinder and connected with the pistonrod of said piston, the opposite end of said lever having a contact member to engage the first-mentioned con tact member on the actuation of the piston, and fluid connections for o erating the piston.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN WV. EIOHBAUM.

Witnesses:

PLEZ JAMES, Jon S. KING. 

